


Stand-Ins

by StarBlazerM31



Category: Slayers (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Christmas Special, Gen, Slayers Secret Santa 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-03-12 08:08:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28882209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarBlazerM31/pseuds/StarBlazerM31
Summary: Lina Inverse and Xelloss have to stand in for the fae of Good Will and Punishment in this Xmas special! 1570 words
Comments: 1
Kudos: 2





	Stand-Ins

“WHAAAAAAT?!”

Birds flew away from the scene in a cacophony of chitters and squawks. Inside the tavern, Lina Inverse leaned against the round wooden table, fists clenched and face red with anger.

“Miss Lina, it’s the only choice we have right now,” Amelia said, her face trying desperately to hide her anxiety at Lina’s anger. “You’re the only one fast enough!”

“Fast enough?! You’re saying I’M the only one fast enough, when YOU GUYS are going to go hunt down a fae snatcher?!” Lina’s indignance was almost palpable. “You’re more suited for this job, Amelia!!”

Zelgadis interjected, placing his cup of tea on the table. “Normally, you would be right, but we need Amelia’s white magic to combat whatever has imprisoned Good Will and Punishment. Anything that can capture two fae is a being of darkness indeed.”

“Oh please, black magic would work just fine!!” Lina growled. “I don’t wanna do this!!!”

She turned to Gourry, desperation in her eyes. “Can’t you do it, Gourry?!”

“Sorry, Lina, the villagers said the thing who did it surrounded itself with mercenaries,” Gourry replied, taking a swig from his stein.

“DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH SENSE THAT MAKES?! NONE!!!” Lina shrieked, stomping her feet with rage.

“What about you, Zel?” Lina whirled on the chimera.

Zelgadis stared blankly at her. Lina deflated into her chair. “Nevermind.”

“Oh come now, Miss Lina, I for one am quite looking forward to our little charade!” Xelloss said, a cheery expression on his face.

“Of course you would, you get to play Punishment!” Lina snarled at the mazoku. “You’re in your element! Scaring kids will be a walk in the park for you!!”

The clock on the wall chimed eleven times. Each chime struck Lina’s ears like a troll’s mace. There was no more time to argue; if the fae of Good Will and Punishment didn’t visit the village’s homes tonight, before the dawn of the new year...unthinkable horror would descend upon them.

“Here you go, Miss Lina!”

Lina turned and she felt her stomach drop to her feet when she saw the red and white outfit that Amelia held up.  
\------------------  
Within a half hour, Lina and Xelloss were bounding over the rooftops of the quiet village. Not a single lamplight glittered, as it was strong tradition to be in bed while the two fae visited each house. Lina was at least grateful for that...she hated the thought of anyone seeing her in this ridiculous outfit. A red-velvet dress, trimmed in white fur, that rode so high up her thighs she practically mourned the loss of her innocence. Xelloss was clad in a suit covered in dark matted fur, with a swooping pair of horns bound to his head. A demonic mask hid his face, and he made his eyes glow to complete the look.

Lina huffed. Why couldn’t Xelloss be in this skimpy atrocity? He looked great in a dress.

They landed on the roof of the furthest house in the village. It was very simple, with two stories and a single chimney coming out of the centermost section of the roof. Lina looked to Xelloss (his expression was indiscernible due to the mask he wore, but Lina had the distinct notion that he was laughing).

“C’mon, let’s get it over with.”

“As you say, Miss Lina!” Xelloss replied a little too brightly, and extended his hand to her. Lina let out a sob as she took Xelloss’ hand, spun close to him, and clapped her free hand with his. They both shimmered, and then appeared inside the home.

Lina looked around, somewhat surprised that the little spell even worked. But they were inside, and there was a job to do. Lina jogged over to the hearth and knelt down in front of the small shrine the family had set up to greet the two fae. Lina picked up a mint stick, meant for Good Will, and put it in the dress’ pocket. She herself wasn’t overly fond of mint, but the ritual of the evening required that Good Will accept the family’s offering. With a wave of the holly-tipped wand she carried, she began to dispense gifts by the shrine....

“Someone’s coming,” Xelloss hissed in utter delight. Anyone who entered while they were there fell under Punishment’s jurisdiction. Lina turned just in time to see a tiny girl with golden braids and glasses stumble down the stairs. She looked at Lina and Xelloss with awe which quickly turned to fear.

“I-I’m sorry, Good Will and Punishment! I didn’t mean-”

“Are they down there?!” came another voice from the stairway.

Lina and Xelloss looked at each other.

The small girl panicked. “My brother made me! He pushed me down the stairs to see if you were really here!!”

Xelloss’ eyes flashed. “Excuse me,” he said with an all too gleeful giggle. He dashed past the girl, who immediately covered her eyes with her hands and trembled, and flowed up the stairs like a misasmic cloud. Lina gathered the little girl up and ushered her over to the shrine, while up the stairs there came a loud shriek followed by a maniacal laugh from Xelloss.

The girl uncovered her eyes and looked at Lina with a quivering lip. “Is he coming for me next?” she asked pitifully.

“No,” Lina said, putting on the all too cheery airs that commonly described the fae of Good WIll. “It wasn’t your fault. Now tell me, star child, what would you wish from Good Will this eve of the new year?”

The girl looked uncertain at first, a blush crossing her tiny cheeks.

Lina sighed and rolled her eyes, then pumped up the act. “No need to be shy, my little sugar plum! What would you like? I can tell that you’re such a good little girl!”

The girl bit her lip, took in a deep breath which puffed out her small chest, and then exploded in rapid fire: “A Red Knight 24 inch steel shortsword with leather grip and holster!!”

Lina blinked, surprised by the specifics of the gift request, but also by such a small girl wanting a *weapon* as her gift.

“You’ll stab your eye out, kid!” she said.

The girl deflated, looking utterly miserable. “Everyone says that,” she mourned. “But I want to grow up to be a great swordswoman! I can’t do that without a sword of my own! The squires in the village start learning when they’re my age…”

Lina pinched the bridge of her nose. She was quite aware of that feeling, but also didn’t want to mire Good Will’s reputation by giving a child something legitimately dangerous.

“I’ll cut you a deal,” Lina said, breaking the act. “How about this…”

She waved the holly wand and a sword just as the girl described (with blunted edges and point) appeared. Lina picked it up and rapped on the blade, the sound clearly that of wood.

“Get good with this one, and we’ll see about getting you a real sword when you’re older.”

She handed the weapon to the child, whose eyes lit up like beacons. She marvelled at it for a long moment before holding the blade aloft.

“I will smite evildoers with this Blade of Justice!!!” the girl proclaimed. “Thank you, Good Will!!”

She dashed back up the stairs just as Xelloss reappeared at Lina’s side. “All done here!” he said. “Shall we move on?”

“What did you do to the brother?” Lina asked, folding her arms and quirking a brow at the mazoku.

“Oh I just showed him visions of what would happen to him if he kept being mean to his sister, then tied him up and shoved him under his parents’ bed,” Xelloss replied merrily.

Lina sighed loudly. “Okay, let’s just go. I want to get this night over with.”

Xelloss held his hand out to her again, she took it, spun into him once more and clapped their free hands together. They vanished from the house.

\---------------------

Dawn crested the mountains as Lina and Xelloss gazed down upon the village with the other members of the group.

“So how did the night go, Miss Lina?” Amelia asked.

“For the most part, uneventful,” Lina replied, clasping her cape around her shoulders. She was glad to be out of that skimpy getup and back into her own clothes. “There were a few kids Xelloss had to deal with, but thankfully my part was nice and easy.”

She glanced over her shoulder at the real Good Will and Punishment, who were making out furiously with each other. Her face turned blue and she turned away.

“What about you guys?”

“The mercenaries were simple enough,” Zelgadis mused, looking at his sword before putting it back in it’s scabbard. “The kidnapper turned out to be one of Punishment’s siblings, Dark Pete. Ameila took care of him quickly.”

Amelia struck a pose, fist held triumphantly before her. “He was no match for my Fist of Justice!!”

“Ahahahaha, you may have competition as a warrior of justice in the future, Amelia,” Lina commented. “There was a really enthusiastic little girl down there….”

The company shared laughter and stories from their night, and were gifted hefty bags of treasure from Good Will as a reward. However Lina quickly took off running when Good Will asked if she could call on Lina to be her stand in once more when she and Punishment decided to have children.

**Author's Note:**

> To understand who the characters Good Will, Punishment, and Dark Pete are, you need to know your European Xmas history.
> 
> Good Will = St. Nicholas  
> Punishment = Krampus  
> Dark Pete = Black Peter


End file.
